Gender hits the catwalks

Topic of sexuality and gender in fashion is still perceived as controversial, however it cannot be prescribed as new. Jean Paul Gaultier has big interest in the trans-gender vision of the clothing, as well as division between sexes. He claimed that: “Except for the medieval codpiece and the bra, garments have never had a gender”. In 1985, Jean Paul Gaultier caused a shock in the fashion’s world by introducing the men-skirt – gossip has it, that fashion journalists and editors left the fashion show. 

Balancing on sexual border has been reached in many shows which have taken place in January. Due to upcoming FASHIONCLASH festival edition, our eyes seems to enrich with “gender-radar”, which is detecting any form of design, which goes beyond boundaries of sexual categorization. 

Comme des Garçons dressed up their male models in layered outfits, which included shirts and graffiti skin resembling pieces. Male skirts played an important role in Dires van Noten’s menswear collection – skirts, which did not highly reminded of females clothing, rather like new element of male’s clothes. Dires van Noten’s collection recreates the forgotten trends from 90’s, when women often wore dresses with trousers. 

The idea of introducing once again skirts as element of male’s closets had been also presented at Givenchy’s show – elegant vision of men in skirt, which is a complement to the suit and shirt.

Fashionable genderism touched also the aspect of models. In many shows, like in County of Milan or Saint Laurent. Catwalks slowly disseminate androgenic beauties – these faces are no longer used for provocative fashion campaigns, but to present high-fashion. Saint Laurent models oscillate around the beauty trend from 90’s – meaning the heroin chic, which also suited to the rock’n’roll style of the collection.

Lastly – Loewe’s shoots, which instead of masculine macho presents flaccid boys, who seem to fight for a bag like women, rather than aggressive alpha male.

Catwalks and designers predict, that menswear is going to change. There has been a time, when boyfriend jeans and boyfriend shirts were perceived as the biggest trends in females closets – can we then expect a revolution in men’s clothing?  

Written by Martyna Wasiak